The First Seventy Two
by Grey Alchemist
Summary: Chuck & Sarah meet in a Washington, D.C. bar a few days before his 26th birthday. Romance ensues...
1. Chapter 1:  Twenty Four Part I

**_Author's Note:_** Okay. Here we go: This is the first story I've published, although technically it's the second I've written. I just got a little stuck on the first, and since this one is finished, I thought I'd throw it out there. I didn't know exactly when I would put this up (or even if I really would) because it's a big step for me to put anything out where people can actually read it. Then I saw that **louzeyre **put up the last chapter of _Chuck versus the Do Over_, and **Frea O'Scanlin** put up a new snippet of _Romeo and Juliet but without teenagers or death _and decided now was as good a time as any. If it doesn't go well, I can cheer myself up with those.

I wouldn't call this "fluff" because I don't think I can capture the feel-good vibe that calls for, but I hope I at least get across some semblance of a romance going on. I didn't have any inclination to write about their relationship, but I thought I'd go in the opposite direction with my second story. Ironically, this one was easier to write. So we'll see how well I did.

**_Summary: _**Chuck and Sarah meet in a D.C. bar a few days before his 26th birthday. Sparks fly and things heat up. They have a limited amount of time together, and they try to make the most of it. Although, being who they are, there are some bumps in the road.

**_Oh, yeah_**: Don't own _Chuck_, 'cause if I did, that whole Season 3 nonsense? Well, let's just say it wouldn't be burned into my mind forever in a file marked **_WTF?_** Just sayin'...

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Chapter 1: Twenty-Four

Part I

_September 15, 2007_

_8:00 pm_

Chuck Bartowski sighed and entered the half-filled bar, it was still early but it would become crowded soon enough. He didn't really want to be here; he wasn't a big drinker, nor was he really all that interested in talking to anyone. But, he was in Washington, D.C. and he was alone, so it wasn't like he could call up Morgan for a marathon session of _Halo_. When he had first found out that he was going to the capitol, he was excited. Chuck had never been there, and he was caught up in the idea of visiting the sites. The customer Chuck had helped the previous weekend was so impressed with the work in his L.A. home, he had asked Chuck to do the same to his D.C. place. Apparently he was some sort of big shot and he was heading out there that Wednesday, so he asked Chuck to come along and do the job then. Big Mike had almost had a coronary when Chuck brought up being away from the Buy More for practically a whole week. Who was going to do any actual work around the place? But then, the generous compensation that had been offered for Chuck's time seemed to be enough for his boss to send him home early to pack for his trip.

Chuck wasn't going to see any of that money, but the chance to see some of the nation's most famous landmarks made up for it. He thought he'd work fast and do the job on Thursday and Friday, then have Saturday and Sunday to do some sightseeing before heading back to Echo Park on Monday. However, here he was on Saturday evening and he had already been done with the job since Thursday afternoon. The costumer had greatly overestimated the scope of the job. He'd seen the sights in the interim: the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument; hell, he'd been over every inch of the National Mall and a few other places locals suggested. Now he was just bored out of his mind. So much so, that he'd finally had enough and decided to head out and wander about for a while, maybe something exciting would happen.

Knowing his luck, though, he thought that _highly_ unlikely. The fact that his birthday was coming up in a few days didn't do anything to lift his spirits either. In fact, all it did was make him feel worse. He was about to turn 26 and he was still working as a Nerd Herder at a Buy More, not where he pictured himself at this point in his five year plan. Of course, that led him to reflect on why it was that he found himself so far off target. _Damn you, Bryce. Damn you, Jill._

He walked over and took a seat at the bar, it was mostly empty. Everyone there was either in groups sitting at a table or at the opposite end from where Chuck was, playing on the two pool tables stationed there. He ordered a rum and Coke and started looking around the room, finally settling on the flat screen mounted on the wall just in front of him displaying some baseball game. Chuck had no idea what was going on, but it was something to do while he finished his drink.

20 minutes later, he heard a yell and a crash right behind him; he quickly swiveled around in his stool.

In front of him stood a beautiful blonde, wearing knee-high black boots, dark denim pants, a white top, and a black jacket. Her gaze fixed on a man sprawled out on the floor, there was a table skewed to the side and a broken stool on the ground. The woman's clearly irate voice exclaimed, "I warned youto leave me alone!" Chuck shifted his eyes between the two, waiting for his brain to catch up with what his eyes were telling him...

**-0-**

_September 15, 2007_

_8:15 pm_

Sarah Walker was not in a good mood. The past couple of months had not been going her way. First, her supposed boyfriend and partner, disappears without a word. Then she gets benched pending a review of his little vanishing act. Now, she's told that the rumors were true: Bryce Larkin had gone rogue. As an agent, you were always told to trust no one, but he was her partner of two years, and significant other for a little under that. If there was anyone she could have trusted, surely it would have been him. How wrong she had been... now she was left holding the bag; and undue suspicion, in her opinion, had fallen on her. After faithful service to her country for the past seven years, Graham had the nerve to question her loyalty? That's what she got, she supposed, for being the perceived girlfriend of a traitor. _Damn you, Bryce._

Now, here she sat, in some bar, at the beginning of her three day suspension just wanting to get as drunk as she possibly could, go back to her apartment and maybe not wake up for the remainder.

She had walked into the first bar she spotted after wondering around for an hour, and headed straight for a table near the bar, not paying attention to anyone else around her. Not the greatest move for a spy, granted, but she was pissed and not in the right frame of mind. The walk hadn't calmed her down any; it had just given her more time to think. Sarah Walker did not like to think; now she was more riled up than before. Half-way through her second drink, some drunken loser walked over to her table and sat down across from her.

"Heeey... bee-uti-ful, saw you sitin' by yerself aaand deci-ded to come keep you com-pa-ny," slurred out the drunken mess across from her.

Without looking up from her drink, Sarah responded, "Not interested. Leave."

"Aw... c'mon, you know you want thisss..." he protested, as his head started to lurch forward, seemingly of its own accord.

Sarah harshly responded, "You'd better get yourself as far away from me as you can_."_

She felt a hand grip her right wrist and heard, "Don't be a bitch... I'm jus' tryin' to talk t' you!"

That was it. Everything she had been holding in came roaring out. Normally, Sarah had a lot more self control than that, but today had worn it down bit by bit. In a flash, she grabbed the hand gripping her wrist with her left and twisted it until she heard a pop. A pain-filled yell came from across the table, and Sarah responded by standing and swiftly sending a kick to the side of the irritant's head. Moments later, he was on the floor, lost to the world. Sarah looked down at him, eyes full of anger, "I warned you to leave me alone!"

**-0-**

Sarah was so focused on the drunk on the floor and getting herself under control, she didn't notice a fist coming from in front of her. She looked up just in time to see it fly right past her right eye and a loud crunch reached her ear, followed by a muffled, "AH! MY NOSE!"

Her eyes widened, and she turned her head to see a brown mop of unruly hair attached to a tall man bouncing around next to her.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Chuck was shaking his right hand in mid-air, while he semi-jumped around. "Holy crap, that hurt!" He said to no one in particular. He had seen that the guy on the ground apparently had a friend; and he was making a beeline for the blonde. He was behind her, and she hadn't noticed. Before he knew what he was doing, Chuck launched himself from the stool and, like something akin to an out of body experience, saw his right hand lift from his side and glide through the air making its way to the would be attacker's face. In a matter of a second, he saw and felt the impact, then nothing, then the pain that shot through his bloody knuckles.

Chuck looked at Sarah, now nursing his right hand with his left, "You know, they make it look so easy in the movies. They never tell you about the pain." Of course, it could've just been that Chuck wasn't a fighter. The only fights he had been in were in defense of Morgan back in school, and he'd never actually thrown a shot then. For the first time, he clearly saw her bright blue eyes staring straight back at him... and he remembered he didn't know how to talk to women. "Uh... I mean..."

Fortunately for Chuck, the manager of the bar came to his rescue. "So, who's going to pay for the damage?" He said as a bouncer came to join him.

Sarah looked around and spotted a couple of broken glasses, a broken stool, and the dumbfounded looks on the other bar patrons' faces. She pulled out a couple of bills, and handed them to the manager, "Here, this should cover it." _Hopefully that should take care of any more questions_, she thought.

Seeing $200 in his hand for no more than $50 worth of damage, he looked up and said, "Both of you, out."

"What? Call the cops! He broke my nose!" Came the still muffled cries of the man Chuck punched. "She knocked my friend unconscious! We want to press charges!"

"Go." As Chuck and Sarah turned to go, they heard the manager speak to his security guard, "Please escort these two out, and make sure they understand it's in everyone's best interests that the cops not get involved." Sarah smiled; she really did not need any more headaches to deal with.

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**_Author's Note:_** I tried to catch any mistakes, sorry if some got through. This chapter got away from me. So Part II, coming up. Hopefully, it'll be worth a read. My spacing got all messed up. This manager thing doesn't want to cooperate.


	2. Chapter 2: Twenty Four Part II

_**Author's Note I: **_Thank you all for the great response. I tried to reply to all reviews, but there was some I couldn't reply to individually for different reasons. That was much more than I was expecting.

_**Author's Note II:**_ So, chapter 1 got away from me, and I ended up splitting it in two. I was originally planning on one chapter covering one day but I guess that's out the window. I split this for two reasons: 1. I didn't want anyone getting too bored reading in case it wasn't any good, and 2. I wasn't counting on the next two planned chapters being as long, so I didn't want to have a really long chapter and two short ones, though that doesn't matter now. Anyway, if you've decided to stick around, I hope you like it.

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Chapter 2: Twenty-Four

Part II

_September 15, 2007_

_8:25 pm_

Sarah and Chuck exit the club, and find themselves in an awkward silence, neither knowing what to say to the other.

Sarah's not sure what she should do. No one's ever come to her rescue like that before, and reluctant as she is to admit it, she knew that guy would've caught her by surprise; she didn't know he was behind her. What amazes her even more is that this guy beside her is clearly not a fighter. He could've gotten himself hurt, yet he still did what he did. Bryce would've stood on the sidelines and enjoyed the show. Seeing him wince, she said the first thing she could think of, "Thank you."

Chuck looked up at the blonde. He was hoping something would come to him during the walk out of the bar, but no. _Oh well. Time to wing it and hope I don't make too big a fool out of myself. _ He gave her a bit of an embarrassed, self-conscious smile. "You're welcome. I just couldn't stand by and let that guy attack you."

Looking at his expression, Sarah saw he was just as much at a loss for what to do as she was. She remembered his bruised hand and said, "We should get you some ice or something for that hand."

"It's fine-"

"I insist. It's the least I can do." Why she insisted, she didn't know. What she should have done is left as soon as she possibly could.

"Okay. I'm Chuck, by the way," said Chuck as he extended his hand out towards her, only to be reminded by the pain that spread throughout, that those kinds of movements were not a good idea right now.

Sarah cringed inwardly at the pain his gesture caused him, but outwardly gave him a gentle smile and said, "I'm Sarah."

He was thankful the pain in his hand was helping override his nerves; otherwise he would be babbling like crazy right now in the presence of this beautiful woman. "Nice to meet you Sarah, it was absolutely worth breaking my hand for." Chuck smiled at her and, amazingly, held her gaze.

To say Sarah had heard her share of lines was an understatement. She knew how she was perceived by men, in fact, her ability to use that to her advantage was one of the reasons why she was so good at her job. Still, to hear and see the sincerity in Chuck as he said those words caused her to shift her gaze momentarily. If not for her training, her cheeks might have even sported a rosy tinge of color right then. "Come on, Chuck. Let's go find a store and take care of that hand. I'm pretty sure it's not broken." With that, she turned right and began walking.

Chuck followed. "Huh," he said suddenly.

"What?" Asked Sarah as they walked at a leisurely pace.

"Well... it's just that, a lot of the time, people feel the need to comment on my name. It's never good."

She looked at him a moment then answered, "I don't see anything wrong with it. I think it suits you. Besides, isn't Chuck short for Charles? That's a very regal name."

With a wide smile he answered, "Wow. Why can't everyone think like you?" The nerves were fading, along with the pain Chuck was feeling, but he wasn't really in a state of mind to notice after what he had just heard.

Seeing his smile warmed Sarah, which in turn confused the hell out of her. This is not something she should be doing. But she liked the feelings she was experiencing, they were new to her; and after what she had been through lately, she wanted them for just a while longer. Besides it not like she had anywhere else to be for the next three days.

**-0-**

_September 15, 2007_

_9:10 pm_

Walking outside the store, Sarah grabbed Chuck's hand and applied the frozen bag of peas. Chuck winced. "It's better if you don't see it coming."

"Somehow, I don't think that's true."

Sarah shrugged. "So, tell me Chuck: Do you always go around saving women in distress?"

Chuck laughed. "You didn't seem to be in all that much distress. I just lent a helping hand," he said raising the injured limb slightly, "and, I can honestly say this is a new one for me. Maybe being in a new town brought it out in me... or maybe it was the alcohol."

She smiled politely. "Not from DC, then?"

"No, no. I'm just here for a few days on a job. I'm heading home on Saturday."

The words strangely brought a slight feeling of loss to Sarah. "Where's home?" That _would_ make things easier, though. He wouldn't be around long enough for her to get attached or for him to find out anything she told him tonight was a complete lie. The thought of lying to him saddened her. She would never be a normal girl, meeting a normal guy, and starting something real. She would never be able to let anyone know who she really was, though she wasn't sure who exactly that was anymore.

"Echo Park, California. I sort of took this job because it gave me the chance to come out here and explore the city a bit. So much happens here, plus, I thought it'd be cool to see the White House in person." Chuck was kicking himself mentally, _that was so lame!_

She could see he was embarrassed and thought it was endearing. "If that's true, then what's so special about that bar you were at? Seemed just like any other bar to me."

"Yeah... I haven't started the exploring part yet. I'd just finished the job I was out here to do and decided to go for a drink and unwind." There was no way he was going to tell her the truth and let her see what a loser he was. He just hoped it sounded believable.

Had Sarah been looking directly at him instead of out into the night, she would've caught his lie. As it was, she attributed the slight hitch in his voice to either the pain or the cold from the peas. An idea spawned in her mind, and little by little, it became more appealing. "Well, you know I do know this city pretty well. If you'd like, I could show you around?" Normally this would not be an option, but at this point, why not? She was suspended, probably out of a job; it was conceivable that she might even be thrown in jail thanks to Bryce's foolishness. She had never done anything just for herself. What did she really have to loose by doing this? For once, maybe she could pretend to be a normal girl before it all came crashing down.

"I'd love that. Thank you, Sarah." Chuck hadn't felt this way in a long time, there was no way he was going to turn down any amount of time he might get to spend with Sarah. He was in no way assertive when it came to girls, but this somehow felt different. Maybe it was because he knew their time was limited that he was as emboldened as he was, or maybe it was because he knew if he made a fool of himself, he wouldn't have to wait long before the two of them were in completely different cities, on opposite ends of the country, and he'd never see her again.

**-0-**

_September 16, 2007_

_2:00 am_

Chuck and Sarah sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Directly in front of them was the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, on the other end of it was the towering obelisk that was the Washington Monument.

Sarah had just finished bandaging up Chuck's hand. They had picked up the bandages at the same store they bought the bag of peas earlier, but she was only now getting around to applying them. They'd walked around the city for a long while and Sarah had shown Chuck a few different places; he'd been to most of them already, but he wasn't about to tell her that. Finally, they'd gotten hungry and decided to get some burgers and eat on the steps.

"So, extra pickles with your cheeseburger, huh?" Visiting the tourist spots with Sarah was infinitely more enjoyable than it had been when he did it by himself.

Sarah just offered him a smile and began working on her meal. They ate in comfortable silence for awhile and just enjoyed each other's company. It was something neither had had for a long time and it was like a breath of fresh air.

**-0-**

Putting away the rest of her trash, Sarah said, "Maybe you should have that looked at, just to make sure."

"My sister's a doctor. I'll just ask her to take a look when I get back."

"You have a sister?"

"Yeah, she practically raised me herself," he replied with a mixture of pride and melancholy in his voice, though she couldn't figure out how those two feelings could coexist in the same statement about someone he clearly admired. "We share an apartment. Actually, I have one room; she and her boyfriend have the other."

"Oh."

"Yeah, he's a doctor, too. I call him Captain Awesome..."

**-0-**

_September 16, 2007_

_7:00 am_

They'd talked for the last few hours. Well, Chuck had talked. Sarah mostly listened, interjecting a comment every once in a while. He seemed happy to keep telling his stories, and she was happy to listen to him. She liked his voice, but mostly, she liked that her lies had been kept to a minimum so far.

They'd stopped talking to watch the sun rise. It was the highlight of the experience they'd been sharing.

"Look at the time... we've been out all night." Then Chuck added, "I'm sorry I've kept you this long. I guess I kinda lost track."

"Hm? Oh, no. It's fine. I've had a good time."

"Really? I didn't bore you to death with all my talking?"

She laughed, "No, Chuck. You really didn't."

"In that case: how about dinner tonight?" _Wait, did I just ask her out?_

"Okay." _Okay? _

_Okay? She wants to go out with me?_ "Sorry, what?"

"Yes, dinner sounds good." _What am I doing? One night, I should be happy with one night._ "How about I pick you up at seven? I'm assuming you don't have a car here?"

"Nope, no car, and seven's good with me." Seeing the happiness present on his face quashed those nagging questions in Sarah's mind, and she couldn't help but smile as brightly as he as they walked down the steps and out of the Mall.

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_**Author's Note:**_ I hear the name Chuck all the time, so I never got that part of their first conversation. I know there are some expectations for this chapter, hopefully, it turned out okay. A bit of a warning, next chapter I put the brakes on the romance for a bit; just giving you a heads-up.


	3. Chapter 3: Forty Eight Part I

_**Author's Note:**_ Okay... Here we go. This chapter is a little "angsty" I suppose. _BUT_... I think compared to some other stories, it's mild. And, it doesn't go beyond this chapter, sooo... you just have to get through it. I have re-read it and now I don't think it's that bad.

_**Author's Note II:**_ Personally, I think if you're early, you're on time, and if you're on time, you're late. Just keep that in mind while reading.

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Chapter 3: Forty-Eight

Part I

_September 16, 2007_

_8:00 pm_

Chuck and Sarah sat in the little restaurant she had chosen for tonight. Having just ordered their food, they looked back to each other as the waiter left. Chuck not knowing anything about the quality of the restaurants in the area had left it up to Sarah to decide. Besides, he still wasn't in much of a mood to talk just yet. She had been late picking him up, and he had convinced himself that she had stood him up. She showed up twenty five minutes after seven claiming traffic had kept her and Chuck let it go at that with an "It's fine," but there was still some resentment lingering. Saying the car ride had been uncomfortable was being kind. Not only because he didn't know what to say to her now, but because she drove like a maniac. Chuck gripped the door's armrest so hard his hand was aching when he eventually let go. Of course, the fact that he had just aggravated his injury from the previous night doing so didn't help matters. Speeding like a bullet through the streets, he wondered how it was that traffic could have stopped her from getting where she wanted to be, if she had really wanted to be there that is.

Sarah turned to face Chuck; as soon as she did, she could see the disappointment and small hint of contempt in his features. The brown eyes that held warmth in them the previous night now were wary in their regard of her. She immediately accepted her drink from the waiter, and intently studied it for a long moment. That look was her own doing, and she did not want to see it anymore. She knew he had thought she'd stood him up, and how could he not? She was late even though she set the time, not to mention, she almost never showed at all. She had been a split-second decision away from completely standing him up instead of just being late. She couldn't really blame him.

**-0-**

_September 16, 2007_

_6:30 pm_

Chuck stepped out of the bathroom of his hotel room, freshly showered. He was half an hour away from his date with Sarah and the twists and turns happening inside his stomach were making the wait feel like exquisite torture. He hadn't looked forward to something so much in years. He was giddy with anticipation of what would happen once she came knocking.

He got back to his room after leaving Sarah for the day and he plopped down on his bed. The events of the past night had left him happy but tired. Sarah sure could walk. So, he set his alarm clock and fell fast asleep. Some sleep was better than none, after all; and he wanted to be wide awake for tonight. Had he fully processed that he had a date with a beautiful woman that night, sleep would not have come so easily, or at all. But the whole thing was so surreal it was taking longer than it usually would.

Chuck's alarm went off at 2 pm. He awoke reaching over to his left to silence the alarm, the haze of sleep still clouding his mind. Slowly his mind cleared, and suddenly his eyes shot open. Everything was coming back to him, including him asking Sarah out on a date and her saying yes. He pushed himself up with his hand. Unfortunately, it was his bad hand and immediately felt the pain. "Argh! What the hell!" That part of the night came back to him too.

He let the pain subside, after five minutes the excitement had taken over. He got off the bed, got dressed, and left. He had some things he needed to pick up. He wanted this date to be perfect. He spent the afternoon out buying a new dress shirt, pants, and even shoes. His Chucks just wouldn't do tonight. Finally, he picked up a bouquet of flowers for Sarah. This date would definitely take a bite out of his wallet, but he was okay with that. He just wouldn't buy any new games for a couple of months, it was worth it. He came back to his room and immediately got in the shower.

Chuck had dressed and was tying his new dress shoes, definitely not comfortable like his Chucks. It was fifteen minutes 'til Sarah got there, so now it was just a matter of waiting. He lay down on his bed with his hands clasped behind his head. This wasn't exactly long term, but it was a step in the right direction. One he hadn't been able to take in five years. Maybe his luck was finally beginning to turn.

Seven o'clock came around and for the past five minutes, he had been staring at the door anticipating the knock. Seven o'clock went and no knock. _Five minutes, she can be five minutes late, it's no big deal._ 7:05 came and went, still no knock. At this point, Chuck stood up and went to stare out the room window. _Any second now..._ The time came to 7:10, _I mean, she did say yes, right? She wanted to go out with me?_ At 7:15, his thoughts began wandering down a path that never equated to anything good for his self-esteem. _Was she just playing with me?_ _She didn't have to say yes if she didn't want to._ 7:20 struck, and there was no going back. _Man, how pathetic am I? Well, at least I can spare Ellie the knowledge I got stood up. I'm sure Sarah got a big laugh out of this. Good thing I'm out of this place tomorrow and I don't ever have to see her again._ Chuck sat at the edge of the bed and just placed his head in his hands for a few minutes. In the minute between 7:24 and 7:25, he stood up to throw the flowers in the trash can by the door. As he turned around to change out of his clothes, there was a knock at the door.

He looked through the peephole at the image of Sarah being distorted in the glass. _Huh._ Chuck opened the door to see what she had to say for herself, maybe tell her off.

"Hi, Chuck. Sorry I'm late. I got stuck in traffic and my phone's battery is dead so I couldn't call."

_Well, I suppose that makes sense. I should give her the benefit of the doubt. She is here._ "It's fine."

**-0-**

_September 16, 2007_

_7:25 pm_

For the past two minutes Sarah had stood in front of Chuck's door, still not sure of what she would say when she knocked and he opened. Not sure if she _could_ knock the door, not after what she had almost done to the poor guy. _Screw it. _She was here; she might as well go through with it. Besides, she was fast on her feet, she'd come up with something. With that, Sarah raised her hand and the impact of her knuckles on wood reverberated through her ears.

Sarah had just gotten back to her apartment after leaving Chuck. She headed straight to her bathroom for a nice relaxing shower. She had not felt this good in a long time. The time spent with Chuck had been refreshing for her after years of dealing with the scum of the earth and fellow agents. She couldn't wait to spend more time with him later on. After showering, she put on a bra and panties, went through her clothes, and picked out her best dress; she knew the perfect heels for it. She laid it out on the bed and crawled in for a nap with a smile on her face. Seven o'clock couldn't come soon enough.

She woke at 5:30, _plenty of time to get ready._ She went to her mirror and started to put on her make up, still excited about her date. As she stared at her reflection, though, her mood began to shift. What was she doing? This wasn't her. She couldn't afford this kind of distraction. She was suspended, but not _fired_. It wouldn't come to that; there was nothing tying her to whatever Bryce was up to, and her boss would come to that conclusion because it was the truth. She had acted impulsively and that could get an agent killed. What if Chuck had been the enemy? She had let her guard down and that could've ended up with her dead. Of course he wasn't the enemy... he was worse. He was a glimpse into something she could never have. Why would she torture herself like this? There was no way she was going to go meet Chuck. She'd finished putting her make up on, but that's as far as she went. She got up, went to her bed, and sat against the backboard with her legs stretched out in front of her. This was definitely not how she had pictured her evening going.

It was now 6:40, and for the past hour and twenty minutes, Sarah had been berating herself for her actions with Chuck on one hand, and on the other berating herself for standing him up. He seemed so happy when she agreed to the date, and he was the nicest guy she'd ever met. How could she do that to him? She pictured him in his room waiting for something that was never going to happen. How long would it be before he realized she wasn't going to show? The look on his face when he finally did figure it out. She couldn't take that, she didn't know why, but she just couldn't. She jumped out of bed, slipped on her dress, coat, and heels, and quickly went to work on her hair. Not the best she'd ever looked but there was no time for that. One date, what could it hurt? He was leaving the next day, so why not give him this. Go, have dinner, make polite conversation for a while, then bid him goodnight, and that was that. She was trained for this sort of thing; it should be a piece of cake.

6:50. _Damn. I'm gonna be so late!_ She was out the door, and headed down to her car at a walk-jog. She was sure she could come up with an excuse on the way there; she had plenty of time for that.

She heard the door unlocking, then opening. It was 7:25 and her heart was racing. How would he look? How would he react to her being this late? What would she _say_? One look at him, and her thoughts turned to quicksand. Being swallowed up faster the harder she fought to get them out. There was a small trace of surprise on his face, not to mention hurt. And then, she noticed it. The way he was dressed, not at all like last night. These were more formal clothes he had on: light blue shirt tucked into his black pressed pants, and black dress shoes on his feet. They were clearly _new. _He'd gone out of his way for this, and she had thought of not going anywhere at all. Then she heard herself say, "Hi, Chuck. Sorry I'm late. I got stuck in traffic and my phone's battery is dead so I couldn't call." She didn't know where that came from, but it sounded like a good excuse considering she had nothing a second ago.

"It's fine." He took a second to let her off the hook, though not totally buying it, she knew. She hoped the rest of the night would be better... and she _really_ hoped that no one from work called because that would not go over well _at all_.

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_**Author's Note: **_Okay, you got through that. Your reward? Another chapter.


	4. Chapter 4: Forty Eight Part II

_**Author's Note:**_ Don't know yet how the previous chapter went over, but here's a second update... just in case.

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Chapter 4: Forty-Eight

Part II

_September 16, 2007_

_8:06 pm_

They'd sat in silence for the past few minutes, and finally Sarah decided she'd try to apologize _honestly_ this time. She didn't like this kind of talk, but maybe the evening could be salvaged. "Chuck, I just want to say I'm sorry-"

"It's okay. No biggie."

"No, look, I know you thought I stood you up-Wait, let me get this out," she cut him off before he could interrupt her again. Chuck closed his mouth and sat back in his chair to listen. "You were right: I was going to do just that." She lowered her head as she said that. "The thing is, I'm not good at this sort of thing. I got scared. My last boyfriend left me two months ago without a word. I thought we had something stronger than that after two years together, but I guess I was wrong. We worked together, and apparently, he was doing some shady stuff at the company, and now they think I had something to do with it, too. I got suspended yesterday afternoon. That's why I was at that bar last night. I was trying to forget all of it for awhile. Then you came into the picture and I felt so normal hanging out with you. I haven't felt like that for a long time, and I wanted to keep the feeling for as long as I could, that's why I said yes to dinner. But earlier today, I started to realize that I wasn't normal. I still had all these problems to deal with and it wouldn't be a good idea to bring you into it. It wouldn't be fair for me to use you to feel better, and give you the wrong impression in the process. I'm not in a position to start anything new. I freaked out and thought that it would be best if I didn't come out with you. But in the end, I couldn't do it. I couldn't just let you sit in your room all night wondering like that. It was too much like what my ex did to me, and I don't want to be that person."

A smile appeared across Chuck's face. When he saw Sarah start to shut down at his smile, he quickly said, "Wait, you don't understand, thank you for telling me all that. It looked like a hard thing to do. I appreciate it a lot. I did think I got stood up, but your explanation has made me feel much better about it now." He saw a small smile come to her face as he continued, "I get it. Believe me, I'm no good at relationships either, of any kind, it seems." She was honest with him, so he decided to be honest with her. "Truth be told, this is the first date I've actually gotten in five years. That's when I was still with my last girlfriend. She dumped me for my best friend. Who, by the way, accused me of cheating and got me kicked out of college. Never knew why he did that to me. We lived in the same dorm, joined the same fraternity. I never saw that coming. I also didn't see coming that my girlfriend wouldn't believe me when I told her I didn't cheat, and instead she'd leave me for the guy that accused me of cheating in the first place."

"Really?" This amazed Sarah. How could anyone do that to him?

"Yeah. So you see why I jumped to conclusions so fast. I don't have the highest confidence in myself."

"Wait... so, you haven't been on a date in _five years_?"

"No, I have, just none that I've actually gotten for myself. My sister keeps setting me up with her doctor and nurse friends but it never works out past one date. I usually end up talking their ears off about my ex." He put his elbows on the table, leaned in, and in a hushed voice he said, "Apparently, women don't like hearing about that sort of thing on a date." Sarah laughed; it was music to his ears.

"Well, I think you're doing just fine tonight," she offered.

"That's because I'm actually interested in my date tonight."

Sarah became serious. "Chuck, I already told you this can't go anywhere. You understand that right?"

He smiled understandingly at her. "Yes, I do. I get it, Sarah. Don't worry. But I also know that we do have tonight, and I haven't felt this way in a long time. I feel alive. Why not make the most of it? Tomorrow I leave, and maybe somewhere down the line we see each other again, maybe we don't. You seem to be leaning toward the latter. But tonight? I plan to make the most of our time together. We'll be back to our separate lives soon enough. So, I don't know about you, but for tonight mine doesn't exist. It's just me and you in our own little bubble where all I have to worry about is entertaining you."

Sarah didn't know how to handle that. He was so earnest in what he said. She wished more than anything that she wasn't who she was. That she was someone who could give a shot to something more substantial with him. She felt her throat start to ache from emotion and she swallowed. He was right: she knew they'd never see each other again after tonight. But she was going to do this for herself. For tonight, she was going to forget everything else and live in their "little bubble," as he called it. This was something she would always keep locked away, and nothing in her world could ever taint the memory. "Okay, Chuck. We'll do it your way. Tonight, it's just you and me. And I'm holding you to your promise of entertaining me."

**-0-**

_September 16, 2007_

_8:15 pm_

Their make-up talk having concluded, the atmosphere at their table had vastly improved. There was a great levity to it, and they both felt it. There was no hurt feelings, no discomfort, no expectations. Chuck and Sarah were finally relaxed as their food made its way to the table.

In hindsight, ordering steak wasn't the best idea given his current condition, but he was too upset to think clearly when he had done so. Now Chuck was struggling to find a way to eat it. He tried holding the fork with his left and cutting with his right, that was a no-go. He switched and tried cutting with his left, while holding a fork with his right. He couldn't apply enough force on the fork to keep the steak steady, so it kind of danced around the plate with every movement of his knife.

Seeing his struggle, Sarah moved her chair and food over to sit by his side and help him. They were at a round table, so it wasn't much of a problem to situate herself. She took the knife and fork from him and started cutting the steak into manageable bites.

"Sarah, you don't have to do that."

"I want to. Besides, it's kinda my fault you can't use your hand right now. So shut up and eat." Chuck grinned wide and did as he was told. This was definitely a new experience for both of them, and they were loving it.

**-0-**

_September 16, 2007_

_9:55 pm_

They had enjoyed eating their meal together after the initial difficulties. They'd traded a few comments back and forth, not to mention a few bites of his steak and her grilled salmon fillet. Their interaction seemed like that of a couple who'd known each other much longer than twenty four hours. He ordered peach cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert, and she ordered a piece of lava cake. While enjoying their treats, the conversation picked up.

"You're kidding me! This Jeff and Lester can't possibly exist." She laughed at the tales of the gruesome twosome that was Jeff and Lester.

"Oh, but they _do_. And trust me: it's a hell of an experience to be in their presence. Not something you easily forget." He shuddered at some of the things he'd seen from those two over the years. Sarah laughed again. "Their latest idea has them thinking they're the next Bon Jovi." At the blank expression he received, he added, "You know: big hits, bigger hair. _Livin' On A Prayer? It's My Life?_ No?"

"Sorry. I don't listen to much music. I don't have the time doing what I do."

"What! That won't do, no. Tonight I'm going to give you a crash course in all things music."

"It's not a big deal, Chuck. Seriously."

"Oh, yes it is. You're coming back to my room and you'll see what you've been missing." He instantly heard how that sounded and asked for the bill instead of looking at Sarah to see what her reaction would be.

She felt warmth encompass her face, but decided not to say anything about his comment: that was dangerous territory.

**-0-**

_September 16, 2007_

_10:47 pm_

Sarah was more relaxed on the ride back to his room, and therefore drove a little slower. The discomfort of the earlier ride had been replaced by a charge in the atmosphere stemming from their last exchange in the restaurant. New thoughts were floating around in both their heads; music however, was not among them. She parked her car, and decided it would be best if she didn't come up to his room after all. "Listen, Chuck. I had a wonderful time tonight. I'm really glad I met you. But I don't think it's a good idea for me to go up to your room."

"Yeah... I figured as much." Chuck said with a small chuckle. "I'm glad I met you too, Sarah. You're a wonderful woman. Thank you for tonight." He offered his left hand to her in lieu of his right.

As soon as their hands clasped a deep feeling of desire and longing spread through them both. Slowly, their heads drifted closer and closer, before they knew it, they were locked in a deep, heated kiss.

Breathless, Sarah spoke, "Let's go."

"What...?" A glassy eyed Chuck responded.

"Now, Chuck."

"Okay." They both rushed out of the car and Chuck led the way to his room.

Having had time clear her head on the way, Sarah turned to back out as soon as they reached his room. But her protest died before it ever got out as she was met by his lips once again on hers.

Chuck brought the key up to the lock with a shaky hand and worked furiously to get the door open. It was hard to think while kissing Sarah, but the chance at more finally got him to focus. He pushed them into his room, and as soon as the door closed, clothes started flying all over the room.

They worked their way back to his bed and he laid her down gently. "Sarah, are you sure about this? We can stop, if you're not."

Hell no, she wasn't sure. As a matter of fact, she was sure she _shouldn't_ be doing this, but right at that moment, she was too far gone to care. So, she grabbed him by the back of the head and pulled him back down onto her lips. That was the end of any rational thought coming from either Chuck or Sarah for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ So, hopefully, you're still enjoying reading this. Two chapters to go, and then this story comes to a close.


	5. Chapter 5: Seventy Two

_**Author's Note:**_ Here's chapter five, one more to go.

_**Author's Note II:**_ Sorry to disappoint some of you, but just use your imaginations. I'm sure it'll be better than anything I could've come up with.

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Chapter 5: Seventy-Two

_September 17, 2007_

_8:00 pm_

Chuck and Sarah found themselves at _Dulles International Airport_, standing right outside Chuck's terminal. They'd been standing there for the past half-hour just holding each other, taking in the sight of each other, and getting in a kiss whenever possible. Neither of them had planned on still being around each other by this point, but plans had a way of changing when it came to the two of them, it seemed.

Instead of ending the date last night and going their separate ways, they had spent the best night of their lives together. And this morning, Sarah woke up on top of Chuck, wrapped up in his arms, her head on his chest. She wished she could stay like this forever, but knew sooner or later she'd have to get up and it would all end.

Chuck awoke to a rubbing sensation on his chest. He looked down and saw a blonde mop of hair strewn about his entire chest and smiled. He saw Sarah adjusting her head to find a more comfortable fit. She was an amazing sight early in the morning, and wished he could wake up to it always, but knew that wasn't to be. It amazed him that last night happened at all. He'd never done anything like this in his life. Even his relationship with Jill only happened because Bryce brought them together, and it took a while before he got the courage to make a move and go all the way with her; certainly more than one date after having known her all of _two_ days. But he felt different with Sarah, he felt at home. It would be a lot harder to let her go than he originally thought, but she had given him back a spark he'd lost long ago, so he was not going to put any pressure on her about continuing their relationship. He wanted nothing more, but she wasn't ready. She had issues to work out, and she had told him so. If she ever changed her mind, she knew where he'd be, he had made sure of that already.

"Good morning Sarah."

"Hey... you're awake."

"And you're breathtaking in the morning." He grinned at her.

She buried her face in his chest. "Shut up. I don't even have any make up on."

"You don't need it." Chuck decided to change the subject, running a hand through her hair, he said, "Last night was incredible, so much more than I expected."

"I know what you mean."

"So, you enjoyed yourself?"

"Very much, Chuck," she said giving him slow delicate kiss.

He smiled. "So, my plane doesn't leave for another twelve hours, if you're up for it, I would like to spend the rest of my time here with you. Maybe grab some lunch and explore some more of the city?"

"I'm sure we'll eat something at some point today, Chuck. But we've explored the city enough, in my opinion; unless... you'd rather not stay in bed with me instead?" She asked with an expectant, pouty face.

His eyebrows shot straight up. "No! No no no! You're right: you've seen one city, you've seen them all. Actually, you know what? Who even needs lunch-"

"Chuck?"

"Yeah?"

"Your babbling is cute and all, but right now you have more important things to do... namely me." She was glad to have just that much longer to revel in this thing between Chuck and her, and she wasn't going to waste any of it.

5:30 came around, and whether they wanted him to or not, it was time for Chuck to get ready to head out for the airport. He laid one last kiss on Sarah before he got up and started walking towards the shower.

"Mind if I join you?" She asked with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Never." He responded holding his hand out for her.

An hour later they came out of the bathroom thoroughly clean and satisfied.

"Chuck."

"Yeah?"

"How about I drive you to the airport?"

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't want you to go out of your way. I'm fine with a taxi."

"No, it's no problem. I'd like to take you."

"If you insist..."

"I do."

On their way to the door, Sarah noticed something in one of the corners she missed last night. "Chuck?"

"Yeah?" He looked at her.

"Were those supposed to be for me?" She said pointing to the flowers resting in the trash can.

"Oh, um... Well, yeah, but then I sorta thought you weren't coming so I put them in the trash," he stammered, embarrassed at his action. "How 'bout I buy you some fresh flowers?"

"Why can't I just have those? There's nothing besides the flowers in there. They're fine."

"It would make me feel better if you let me buy you a new bouquet," he explained.

"Fine, but can I take those with me, too? They _are_ supposed to be mine, right?" She asked with an innocent, inquiring look.

Chuck hugged her tight and whispered in her ear, "Of course. If you want them, they're yours."

She picked them up and inhaled deeply as she held the flowers to her nose. She smiled happily at him.

They walked out with his equipment and travel bags hanging across his torso and Sarah's hand in his left. They held hands on the way to her car, on the drive to the flower shop, on the drive to the airport, and then on the walk to his terminal.

**-0-**

_September 17, 2007_

_8:07 pm_

"Thank you, Sarah," said Chuck in a small voice.

"It was just a ride, Chuck," she responded with a shrug.

"That's not what I mean. Meeting you was the best thing that's ever happened to me." With a sly grin, he added, "Even if I did have to suffer a broken hand."

Sarah let out a small chuckle, looked down, and traced her fingers lightly over his bandaged hand. "I feel the same way. You have no idea how much you've given me."

"I think I do. You've given me just as much, if not more." Caressing her cheek, he let out a deep sigh. "I have to go. I still need to check my bags in."

"Okay." She reached up and gave him one last kiss, holding on to him with all her might for what seemed like forever.

"Hey, you know if you're ever in Echo Park..." he drifted off, finally letting go of her and picking up his bags.

"Of, course," she said. They both knew that wasn't going to happen, but neither regretted what happened between them.

Chuck turned and started walking into his terminal with one last look and smile at Sarah.

She smiled back, and turned to start walking back toward her car before he could see the single tear sliding down her cheek. _In another life_, she thought.

At 9:00 pm, Chuck's flight took off, making its way back to Burbank.

**-0-**

_September 18, 2007_

_7:00 pm_

It had been a long day for Chuck. He'd gotten home at a little before midnight the day before. It was the second time he'd been through the time zone shift, but he still found it disconcerting. With the return flight, he felt a little like he'd gone back in time, which was kind of cool, at first. Then he thought of everything that could go wrong with that and it gave him a headache. But, the jet lag coupled with thoughts of Sarah made it impossible for him to sleep.

This morning he'd woken up cranky, and didn't feel like dealing with Ellie. He got lucky last night because she and Devon were working a night shift, but today he knew she'd be busy at work with last minute preparations for his birthday party, which he did not want. He never knew anyone at those things; they were all Ellie and Devon's friends that they were trying to set him up with, or Devon's UCLA frat brothers he couldn't stand. So, he'd quietly made his way into the bathroom, showered, cleaned up, and made his back into his room to dress, and then... he snuck out the Morgan door.

Being back at the Buy More didn't help matters. Jeff and Lester were up to their usual antics, Anna was flirting non-stop with the customers, and Morgan was in the break room playing another round of "Mystery Crisper" with the rest of the green shirts; needless to say, there was a whole lot of not working going on. He didn't know which was worse: this shift at the Buy More or the party at his place later on. He wasn't up for meeting anyone new, not after having just met and spent those too few days with Sarah.

He and Morgan made their way to Chuck's place where they had decided they would hide out in his room and play some Xbox. Well, he'd decided. Morgan wanted to join the party but, of course, Ellie would have none of that. So with an hour to go before anyone would arrive, they snuck into his room the same way he'd snuck out earlier and settled in for a night of _Call of Duty_.

**-0-**

_September 18, 2007_

_11:00 pm_

The day had fared little better for Sarah. After leaving Chuck at the airport the night before, she had made her way back to her apartment; all the while thinking of him. As soon as she stepped foot inside, her phone went off. She received a text: _**Meeting. Director Graham's office. Tomorrow morning. 11 AM.**_ _Great..._ So Graham had reached a decision. She wondered what awaited her at that meeting. Would she be arrested? Would he tell her what Bryce was up to? Would she still have a _job_? Letting out a frustrated sigh, she settled on her bed and ordered some take out. She would eat, then bed. The sooner she went to sleep, the sooner that meeting would come.

She had to wait for twenty minutes before the Director finally asked for her.

"Agent Walker," the imposing man said from behind his desk, motioning for her to sit.

"Director."

"We've reviewed your case and from the available evidence, have determined that you were unaware of Bryce Larkin's actions."

"Yes, sir." _Took you long enough._

"Therefore, you're reactivated..."Sarah felt relief wash over her, until Graham continued, "However, just because there was no evidence doesn't mean there isn't doubt." Anger flared internally that they still didn't trust her, but she remained calm on the outside. "Until further notice, consider yourself on probation. When a suitable case comes up, you will be given the opportunity to prove yourself to the Agency once again." That was that. The meeting was over and she had been dismissed, obviously, not in so many words but the message was clear.

She spent the rest of the day at her apartment fuming. She'd been essentially benched... _again_. She was pissed at Bryce for having done this to her. Now, for the life of her, she couldn't think of what it was she had ever seen in him. He was nothing like Chuck. Thoughts of him started to flood her memory and she calmed down. She looked over at the two bouquets of flowers on either side of her bed, one of roses, the other gardenias, and smiled. The memories of him and their time spent together, she concluded, would always help her through the tough times.

Her phone started buzzing. "Agent Walker, we have a situation. This is your chance to prove yourself," started the curt voice of Director Graham.

"Yes, sir."

"Get yourself to Burbank, California immediately. Contact me once you're there."

"Yes, sir." The Director hung up. _What the hell is going on?_ She wanted to ask more questions, but she wanted back in the field even more. She decided that she'd have answers soon enough. She also had a thought: _Chuck_. But things were different now. They'd had their time and that would have to suffice. She was back in her world. She was back to being CIA Agent Sarah Walker and she had a job to do, whatever that turned out to be. She packed her bag and was on her way with a resolute mind.

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ Okay, so the last chapter. It picks up during the pilot, but it's a bit of a reworking, given that they've already met and some things just didn't work for my purposes.


	6. Chapter 6: One Degree of Chuck and Sarah

_**Author's Note:**_ This is the end. Thank you all for sticking with me and for all of your great reviews. It took a little longer to get out than I planned, but that's because I kept going over it. Now, I'm at the point where I just have to go with what I've got. Hope you like it.

_**Recap: **_Chuck and Sarah have known each other for three days. During their time together they behaved in ways they normally wouldn't have because they thought they would never see each other again. They were wrong. _So_. _Very_. _Wrong_. This is day four and their worlds are about to collide.

* * *

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One Degree of Chuck and Sarah

_September 19, 2007_

_1:00 am_

His plan to evade the party had not gone as he'd hoped. Ellie found him hiding in his room with Morgan and started to tear into him about getting back out there and meeting her very nice, very available friends. That is, until she noticed his bandaged up hand. She immediately hauled him out of the apartment, past the courtyard, and to the hospital where she had x-rays taken of his hand to assess the damage, in spite of Chuck's protests that he was fine. The x-rays showed a small fracture requiring a simple splint; Ellie, however, was having none of that. She ordered his hand be put in a cast. Chuck argued for a black one to deter anyone from asking to adorn it with their "art"; but Ellie told him to stop acting like a baby, he was getting plain white. _Well, at least I got out of that party_, he'd thought.

Having gotten back to their apartment past midnight, the party was all but over. Devon and Morgan were cleaning up, Ellie and Chuck joined them.

"Thanks for helping clean up, Morgan. I know how much you wanted to go to the party."

"Well, actually, I did go. After you two took off, no one stopped me from joining. I loved the appetizers, Ellie did it again," said Morgan walking into Chuck's room a few moments after Chuck had. "So, how about we finish that _Call of Duty_ mish?"

"Sorry, buddy," Chuck said holding out his cast-plastered hand. "No can do."

"It's cool, I get it," he said. A bleep from Chuck's computer caught his attention. "Wow. Like, blast from the past _wow_. Bryce remembered your birthday, dude."

"What?"

"The guy that got you kicked out of school? The guy who stole your girl? Remember that guy?"

Walking over to his computer Chuck responded, "Yeah, Morgan. I think I remember Bryce."

"Well, what uh... what have we got here?"

"Huh." Across the screen the words _The terrible troll raises his sword_ were displayed.

"What is it?"

"Zork... you remember Zork? That old text-based video game? Well, Bryce and I programmed our own version of it back at Stanford using the TRS-80," Chuck said fondly.

"Wow, you guys were really cool," said Morgan shaking his head.

"If I could only remember what was in my hero's satchel..." At the turn of the head and roll of the eyes Morgan gave him, Chuck added, "The weapons that I would use to kill the terrible troll."

"Riiight. You know what? You're still really cool," was Morgan's sarcastic comment.

"And, uh... you're going home."

"Is it that time?"

"It's that time. Pedal safe!" Chuck shot over his shoulder to a retreating Morgan.

"Thank you!"

The answer came to Chuck, and he typed out the words _Attack troll with nasty knife_ on the keyboard, then hit _Enter_.

The computer monitor went into full-screen mode and started displaying images and video at an ever increasing speed. Chuck took a step back and began taking it all in. Before he knew it, he was mesmerized by the screen and his eyes began rapidly darting left and right. He stood frozen like a statue for hours as the program ran its course, finally ending just as his alarm went off at 7 am, at which point... Chuck dropped unceremoniously backward straight onto the carpet not knowing how long he'd been there.

A muffled and distorted, "Chuck! Chuck?" came from Morgan.

As he opened his eyes, Chuck saw superimposed images in his vision, ever changing in front of a very bendy Morgan swaying above him. His vision cleared as did his hearing.

"Dude... dude. You okay?" Morgan asked waving his hand in front of Chuck's face.

"Mo-Morgan?" asked the shaky voice.

"Yeah man! Yeah, it's me." Morgan offered his hand and pulled Chuck into a sitting position. "What happened?"

"I was going to ask you the same question," Chuck replied as he sent a look towards his now dormant computer. "Did you spike the punch?"

Chuck got to his feet and they started to make their way out of his room, as Morgan defends, "Something goes wrong you blame me. After all these years, where's the trust?" followed quickly by, "Yes, I did."

**-0-**

_September 19, 2007_

_1:00 pm_

Chuck couldn't wait for his shift to end today. The _Irene Demova_ virus was running rampant and the headache he'd had since waking up this morning was not helping; neither were the Buy Morons that had been coming after him with a marker all day. Whereas yesterday, he dreaded going home, today he couldn't wait to get to his room, away from everyone. It was disconcerting for him to keep remembering stuff all morning long, and not remembering when or where he'd learnt it. Morgan must have used something really strong to spike the punch last night for it to be messing with his mind so much. Banging his head against his folded arms resting on the desk, he chanted, "I'm losing my mind, I'm losing my mind, I'm losing my mind."

Until Morgan snapped him out of it, that is. "Dude! It's Vicky Vale!"

Chuck's head slowly rose and his eyes followed Morgan's gaze towards the Buy More doors. His heart fluttered because making her way into the store was Sarah, who he'd missed so much since they'd said good-bye at the airport. As soon as he got a clear look at her, his whole body tensed. His pupils dilated, and dozens of images invaded his mind...

**-0-**

_September 19, 2007_

_2:15 am_

As soon as Sarah arrived in Burbank, she headed for a hotel. She checked into a room, dropped her bag and dialed Graham.

"Walker, are you settled?" said the agitated voice of Langston Graham.

"Yes, sir; I'm in Burbank, just checked into a hotel."

"Listen, there are some things happening beyond my control. It's proving to be harder than I thought for me to set things in motion. For now, get some sleep. You have a long day ahead of you. Call me back at 8 am, your time." With that, the Director ended the call.

Sleep? So close to Chuck? That wasn't going to be easy.

**-0-**

_September 19, 2007_

_8:00 am_

Sarah finally managed to get a couple of hours of sleep, but at 8 sharp, she was on the phone with Graham.

"Last night, Bryce Larkin broke into a highly classified CIA facility and destroyed something called the Intersect computer, but not before sending out an email with all the information stored in the machine attached."

"Sir, I've never heard of any Intersect computer. What is it? What information did it contain?"

"After 9/11, we were ordered to pool all information from every intelligence service together; mine it for patterns, connections, anything that would prevent another attack like that one from happening again. The Intersect was how we did it. It had everything stored within it, and Larkin took it all."

"I assume that's why I'm in Burbank then? How do you want me to handle Bryce?"

"No, Sarah. You don't understand, John Casey has already taken care of him. You're in Burbank because we traced the email he sent to a man in Echo Park. We're working up a file on him. I'll call you as soon as it's done."

"Yes, sir." An uneasy feeling came over Sarah. That was way too close to Chuck. She really didn't want to run the chance of bumping into him. If that happened, she would have to reject any attempt he made toward spending time with her. Not only because she was on the job, but because it could put his life in danger. She didn't want that, she didn't want Chuck to have anything to do with her world. The thought of hurting him, though, tugged at her heart. She really hoped that she didn't run into him. Still, her instincts told her something wasn't quite right. She'd learned to trust those instincts long ago.

Four hours later, Sarah got the call from Graham.

"Sir, if I may, why is it taking so long to get this info?"

"The NSA is not playing nice. Larkin was one of ours; that has consequences. They're using that as an excuse to cut us out of the loop. They've already sent Casey out there and they wanted him to get there before you. He's going after the computer in Echo Park. I want you to go after the man Bryce sent the information to, he may have it on him. Regardless, I want you to get to him before the NSA does. I want to know what he knows."

"Yes, sir. Where am I going?"

"We've found he works at a Buy More. We'll have a photo to send you by the time you get there."

She was given the address to the Burbank Buy More branch, and that feeling she had hours before came back with a vengeance. Chuck worked at a Buy More, he didn't say which one, but this had her insides twisting. It was getting harder and harder to ignore the possibility, no matter how farfetched she thought it.

**-0-**

_September 19, 2007_

_12:58 pm_

Sarah Walker exited her car and walked towards the entrance of the Buy More electronics store. A few feet from the door her phone rang. "Yes, sir?"

"It turns out the man Larkin sent the Intersect data to, was his college roommate. We didn't know this earlier because there has been no known communication between them for the last five years. I'm sending you his photo now."

She looked down at her phone, and as she stepped inside, the face of a wide-grinning Chuck Bartowski began to fill her screen.

"His name is Charles Bartowski. A loser by the looks of things, but be careful, Sarah. Larkin wouldn't have sent the information to just anyone. This man is dangerous."

Sarah had stopped moving. She heard Graham's voice off in the distance, but didn't register what he was saying. She was too focused on the face on her phone's screen; her stomach felt like it was ripping itself apart. She was going to be sick...

**-0-**

_September 19, 2007_

_1:01 pm_

Chuck eyes fluttered open and shut a couple of times, and the tension in his body was gone; suddenly he knew information about Sarah she had never shared with him; information that should've had him running scared. Like the fact that she was a government agent; a very deadly and dangerous government agent. But he knew Sarah. He knew the kind of person she was at her core. What he'd seen disturbed him, and there was no way he wasn't going to ask about it, but it didn't change the way he felt about her. So instead, he got upset. Leave it to him to focus on the wrong thing. He rushed around the Nerd Herd desk and made his way towards her, leaving behind him a very perplexed Morgan.

Everything Graham was saying finally started making its way into Sarah's consciousness, but she _knew_ Chuck. Now that she'd found out what their connection was, she knew he couldn't possibly be involved with whatever Bryce was up to. When Chuck talked about his college roommate, he seemed to hate the guy, and why wouldn't he after what he'd done? The reason there seemed to be no communication between the two in five years was because there really _wasn't_ any. Chuck had no reason to do such a thing. As for him being _dangerous_? Yeah, she'd seen how dangerous Chuck was. She was more afraid of a cold. Bryce had screwed him yet again, this time however, what he did had potentially deadly consequences. The sudden appearance of Chuck right in front of her snapped her out of her ever worsening thoughts.

"_Bryce Larkin_? _He_ was the partner you told me about?" In a lower but still harsh tone he added, "And you're both _spies_? What the hell, Sarah?"

Her eyes widened. "Come with me." She grabbed his hand and dragged him back to her car.

"How did you know that, Chuck?" She demanded once they were both seating in her car. "You told me you haven't talked to Bryce in five years! Was that a lie?" She narrowed her eyes.

"What? No! I didn't lie to you!" He responded quickly, feeling wrongly accused of lying. "I've just been having these weird bursts of information all morning. Like memories, but of things I didn't know in the first place."

A worrying thought occurred to her. "Chuck, I know he sent you an email last night. Did you open it?" She asked quickly.

"Yeah. It was just an old line from Zork. A game we used to play back in college." He was still upset, but that was quickly changing the longer the conversation went on.

"Was that it? Was there anything else?" She prodded.

"There was an attachment... it was just a bunch of pictures."

"Did you see them?"

Her tone worried him a little. "Should I not have?" He asked apprehensively.

"Chuck, those pictures were encoded with every secret the government has. They had a theory that if the right person saw them, they would be able to recall the information encoded in the pictures." She continued, "You haven't talked to Bryce in five years, and I know I didn't tell you about what we do. So, it looks like the theory was right. Those secrets are all in your head and you have access to all of them."

Chuck was freaking out. "Sarah, what does that mean? What's going to happen to me now? Why would Bryce do this to me?"

"I don't know, Chuck." She was starting to freak out just like Chuck. If there was ever going to be a reunion between the two of them, this was definitely _not_ how she would have pictured it happening.

"Well, can't we just call Bryce and tell him to come fix me?" He asked with a hopeful look on his face.

"Sorry, Chuck. Bryce is dead. Even if he wasn't, he wouldn't have been able to get the secrets out." If he _were_ still alive however, she could have shot him for doing this Chuck. He had doomed Chuck. She knew he wouldn't be killed, not now, anyway. Not after what she had just discovered. He was too valuable. He was an asset. As soon as he outlived his usefulness though, he would be burned like every other asset. There was no way she would allow that to happen to Chuck. She had to protect him. She would not let him end up locked away or with a bullet between the eyes. "Don't worry, Chuck. I won't let anything happen to you." She was determined about that.

"Thank you." He gave her a small smile and reached out for her hand.

Sarah immediately pulled hers back. At the look of hurt on his face, she offered, "I'm sorry, Chuck. We can't. We're going to be working together soon and if I'm going to protect you effectively, I can't compromise myself."

"_Compromise_ yourself?" Chuck shot back. "After what we did in D.C., I think you are _way_ past compromised here." Sarah stared out the windshield, not wanting to look at him. "I'm not just going to pretend none of that happened, it meant too much to me; and I won't let you either." His hand shot straight to the back of her head and he pulled her in for a kiss. Sarah tried to pull away, but Chuck kept up the kiss until she started kissing back.

Sarah couldn't fight it anymore, she had missed being with him. Who was she kidding? Chuck was right: she was beyond compromised. When the kiss ended, she rested her forehead on his, sighed, and said, "Okay, Chuck. You win. Whether I like it or not, it's too late to start fighting this thing we have. But, we _will_ have to have a talk soon. There are some things I need you to understand. For now, if my boss finds out about you and me, he'll send me away in the blink of an eye. So, as far as every one else is concerned, this is the first time we have ever met. Think you can sell that?"

"If it means you stay with me, then yes," he answered softly.

"Chuck, you have to know, this won't be easy. We'll have to hide _us _from my boss. It won't be a normal relationship."

"Will we get to spend time together? Just the two of us, alone?"

"Not right away. There's a lot that's going to happen and a lot that needs to happen. But yes, I will find a way to get us as much private time as we can get without arousing suspicion."

"Then, that's all I care about. Normal is overrated anyway," he said with a smile.

"I have to make a call, start sorting things out. Remember, we don't know each other, so this will be the last bit of us time we'll have for a while." After another passionate kiss, she pulled out her phone and dialed. "Director Graham? Yes, I have made contact with the target. There are some things you should know..."

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_**Author's Note:**_ And, there you have it: The End. I know some people want a sequel to see how their personal relationship will affect their professional one, but I feel that's too much of an undertaking. I've thought about it, and there's two seasons' worth of story I think I'd have to cover if I was to write a sequel (I _do not_ want to touch season three at all). I don't know if I could keep the story interesting for that long. So, instead, I tried to hint at that dynamic here, maybe you can just go from there and imagine how that could work. Again, thank you all for the interest and positive response.


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